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Everyone has made mistakes with money. Sometimes the mistakes can be costly. These tips from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) may help you keep mistakes to a minimum or avoid them all together.

Each year, millions of adults of all ages find themselves struggling to pay their monthly bills. Overspending on credit cards, taking out car loans and having to pay living expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities and buying groceries can become overwhelming if you haven’t learned to prepare a monthly budget and follow it.

If you find you don’t have enough money to cover your bills every month, you need to make some changes. Look at all your expenses and see what can be cut. Do you really need to belong to the gym or tanning salon? Where else can you cut? If you’re eating out more than once a week, stop. It’s cheaper to buy fresh produce and meats and prepare your own meals at home.

If you have cut as many expenses as you can and still don’t have enough money to cover your bills, you need to look at your income. Maybe you need a better-paying job? But those aren’t always easy to find, so a part-time job might be the solution.

KHEAA is the state agency that administers Kentucky’s grant and scholarship programs, including the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES). It provides free copies of “It’s Money, Baby,” a guide to financial literacy, to Kentucky schools and residents upon request at publications@kheaa.com.

To learn how to plan and prepare for higher education, go to www.gotocollege.ky.gov. For more information about Kentucky scholarships and grants, visit www.kheaa.com; write KHEAA, P.O. Box 798, Frankfort, KY 40602; or call 800-928-8926, ext. 6-7372.